Largest Hindu temple in the US inaugurated in New Jersey
Robbinsville (US) (PTI): BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham, the largest Hindu temple in the United States spread over 185 acres, has been inaugurated here, with devotees underscoring the temple's message of unity, peace and harmony for people living across America and the world.
The grand dedication ceremony of Akshardham in Robbinsville, New Jersey was conducted on Sunday in the presence of Mahant Swami Maharaj following a nine-day celebration that commenced on September 30.
Swami Maharaj performed the 'Pran Prathistha' ceremony at the temple amid rituals and traditional ceremonies.
The construction of the temple, dedicated to Bhagwan Swaminarayan, started in 2011 and concluded this year. It was created by 12,500 volunteers from around the world. Among the several key unique features of the temple is the largest elliptical dome ever constructed from stone.
Volunteer Lenin Joshi noted that Swaminarayan Akshardham presents India's heritage and culture to modern America.
Created by volunteers around the world, this masterpiece stands as an enduring symbol of love while preserving traditions and spreading messages of peace, hope, and harmony across generations, he said.
"We were waiting for this moment for the last several years," Joshi said, adding that the day has finally come when people from all around the country, irrespective of their faiths and religions, will be able to visit the temple and see the grand symbol of Indian Hindu tradition, peace, devotion and architectural marvel.
He said the temple has been built by nearly 12,500 volunteers - men, women and children from all walks of life - who took a break from their jobs and studies and dedicated themselves for days and months to construct the temple.
Highlighting some of the unique aspects of the temple, Joshi said 1.9 million cubic feet of stone was used in its constriction. The stone was sourced from over 29 different sites around the world, including granite from India, sandstone from Rajasthan, teakwood from Myanmar, marble from Greece, Turkey and Italy and limestone from Bulgaria and Turkey.
He said the temple was designed to incorporate elements from ancient Indian art, architecture and culture, including 10,000 statues, carvings of ancient Indian musical instruments and dance forms as well as water from the holy rivers of India.
Deputy Commissioner at the New York City Mayor's Office for International Affairs, Dilip Chauhan told PTI here that the inauguration and dedication of the Akshardham temple is a "dream come true" for devotees, volunteers and followers across the US.
He said the Akshardham in Robbinsville is a temple not just for any one community but "this cultural complex is going to bring all communities together" and will be a bridge between the local, state, and federal government and the faith-based community.
"We can see real diversity here," Chauhan said.
Chauhan said US Congresswoman Grace Meng has dedicated October 8, 2023, as Akshardham Day' in the Congressional District 6 of New York City borough of Queens, including west, central, and northeast Queens.
He said though Akshardham is based in New Jersey, New York also wants to be part of it. "New York, New Jersey, and the entire United States want to celebrate the significance of Akshardham" which is why Congresswoman Meng has dedicated October 8, 2023, as Akshardham Day'.
Underlining New York City Mayor Eric Adams's message of "breaking bread and building bonds", Chauhan said the temple underscores the message of unity in diversity and harmony.
Yogi Trivedi from New York, a scholar of media and religion, underscored that the spirit of selfless service and devotion are the foundation of the temple.
"This spirit will speak to not just Hindu-Americans, Indians and Indian-Americans but to America and the world at large. It is that sense of inclusivity and the sense of bringing people together that will speak to those who visit the temple," said Trivedi, who is also an author specialising in Bhakti Studies and a volunteer at the temple.
He said while the architectural innovation is awe-inspiring in itself, the innovation in the temple's messaging is unique and path-breaking.
"Akshardham Mahamandir is embedded in tradition and at the same time embracing innovation," he said, pointing out that as one walks around the Mahamandir's base plinth one will see messages from the lives of Sri Krishna and Lord Ram, the Vedas and Upanishads as well as messages of democracy, liberty, equality and freedom from iconic leaders of American society and the western world that will resonate with visitors.
These include Socrates, Albert Einstein, Rumi, former President Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King.
"These messages which are universal now speak to the Americans, the Hindu Americans and the international visitor that comes here in a way that is familiar to them. This is a Sanatan Hindu Mandir with an articulation of that universal message that speaks to the world," he said.
Trivedi said at a time when the world is really divided and there are divisions among people in American society also, "this Mandir is a step in that direction to bring those people together, to help people realise that we need to celebrate humanity, need to celebrate the things we share, have in common and not those that divide us. That is the message of our Guru Pramukh Swami Maharaj and that is the central theme and message of this inclusive Mahamandir Akshardham".
Globally, BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardhams are landmarks of Hindu art, architecture, and culture and serve as spiritual and community hubs, open to people of all faiths and backgrounds.
"Akshardham in New Jersey marks the third such cultural complex globally. The first Akshardham was created in Gandhinagar, the capital of Gujarat, India, in 1992, followed by Akshardham in New Delhi in 2005," a statement said.
During the week, India's Permanent Representative at the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj led a delegation of ambassadors and representatives from the United Nations to the temple ahead of the grand dedication ceremony on October 8.
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Netanyahu recommends his Cabinet approve Hezbollah cease-fire proposal
Beirut, Nov 26: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that he would recommend his cabinet adopt a United States-brokered ceasefire agreement with Lebanon's Hezbollah, as Israeli warplanes struck across Lebanon, killing at least 23 people.
The Israeli military also issued a flurry of evacuation warnings — a sign it was aiming to inflict punishment on Hezbollah down to the final moments before any ceasefire takes hold. For the first time in the conflict, Israeli ground troops reached parts of Lebanon's Litani River, a focal point of the emerging deal.
In a televised statement, Netanyahu said he would present the ceasefire to Cabinet ministers later on Tuesday, setting the stage for an end to nearly 14 months of fighting.
Netanyahu said the vote was expected later Tuesday. It was not immediately clear when the ceasefire would go into effect, and the exact terms of the deal were not released. The deal does not affect Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza, which shows no signs of ending.
The evacuation warnings covered many areas, including parts of Beirut that previously have not been targeted. The warnings, coupled with fear that Israel was ratcheting up attacks before a ceasefire, sent residents fleeing. Traffic was gridlocked, and some cars had mattresses tied to them. Dozens of people, some wearing their pajamas, gathered in a central square, huddling under blankets or standing around fires as Israeli drones buzzed loudly overhead.
Hezbollah, meanwhile, kept up its rocket fire, triggering air raid sirens across northern Israel.
Lebanese officials have said Hezbollah also supports the deal. If approved by all sides, the deal would be a major step toward ending the Israel-Hezbollah war that has inflamed tensions across the region and raised fears of an even wider conflict between Israel and Hezbollah's patron, Iran.
The deal calls for a two-month initial halt in fighting and would require Hezbollah to end its armed presence in a broad swath of southern Lebanon, while Israeli troops would return to their side of the border. Thousands of Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers would deploy in the south, and an international panel headed by the United States would monitor all sides' compliance.
But implementation remains a major question mark. Israel has demanded the right to act should Hezbollah violate its obligations. Lebanese officials have rejected writing that into the proposal. Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz insisted on Tuesday that the military would strike Hezbollah if the U.N. peacekeeping force, known as UNIFIL, doesn't provide “effective enforcement” of the deal.
“If you don't act, we will act, and with great force,” Katz said, speaking with UN special envoy Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert.
The European Union's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said Tuesday that Israel's security concerns had been addressed in the deal also brokered by France.
“There is not an excuse for not implementing a ceasefire. Otherwise, Lebanon will fall apart,” Borrell told reporters in Italy on the sidelines of a Group of Seven meeting. He said France would participate on the ceasefire implementation committee at Lebanon's request.
Bombardment of Beirut's southern suburbs continues
Even as Israeli, US, Lebanese and international officials have expressed growing optimism over a ceasefire, Israel has continued its campaign in Lebanon, which it says aims to cripple Hezbollah's military capabilities.
An Israeli strike on Tuesday levelled a residential building in the central Beirut district of Basta — the second time in recent days warplanes have hit the crowded area near the city's downtown. At least seven people were killed and 37 wounded, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry.
Three people were killed in a separate strike in Beirut and three in a strike on a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon. Lebanese state media said another 10 people were killed in the eastern Baalbek province. Israel says it targets Hezbollah fighters and their infrastructure.
Earlier, Israeli jets struck at least six buildings in Beirut's southern suburbs. One strike slammed near the country's only airport, sending plumes of smoke into the sky. The airport has continued to function despite its location on the Mediterranean coast next to the densely populated suburbs where many of Hezbollah's operations are based.
Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee issued evacuation warnings for 20 buildings in the suburbs, as well as a warning for the southern town of Naqoura where UNIFIL is headquartered.
UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti told The Associated Press that peacekeepers will not evacuate.
Other strikes hit in the southern city of Tyre, where the Israeli military said it killed a local Hezbollah commander.
The Israeli military also said its ground troops clashed with Hezbollah forces and destroyed rocket launchers in the Slouqi area on the eastern end of the Litani River, a few kilometres from the Israeli border.
Previous ceasefire hopes were dashed
Under the ceasefire deal, Hezbollah would be required to move its forces north of the Litani, which in some places is about 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the border.
A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, the strongest Iranian-backed force in the region, would likely significantly calm regional tensions that have led to fears of a direct, all-out war between Israel and Iran. It's not clear how the ceasefire will affect the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Hezbollah had long insisted that it would not agree to a ceasefire until the war in Gaza ends, but it dropped that condition.
Hezbollah began firing into northern Israel, saying it was showing support for the Palestinians, a day after Hamas carried out its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, triggering the Gaza war. Israel returned fire on Hezbollah, and the two sides have been exchanging barrages ever since.
Israel escalated its campaign of bombardment in mid-September and later sent troops into Lebanon, vowing to put an end to Hezbollah fire so tens of thousands of evacuated Israelis could return to their homes.
More than 3,760 people have been killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon the past 13 months, many of them civilians, according to Lebanese health officials. The bombardment has driven 1.2 million people from their homes. Israel says it has killed more than 2,000 Hezbollah members.
Hezbollah fire has forced some 50,000 Israelis to evacuate in the country's north, and its rockets have reached as far south in Israel as Tel Aviv. At least 75 people have been killed, more than half of them civilians. More than 50 Israeli soldiers have died in the ground offensive in Lebanon.
After previous hopes for a ceasefire were dashed, U.S. officials cautioned that negotiations were not yet complete and noted there could be last-minute hitches that delay or destroy an agreement.
“Nothing is done until everything is done,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby said.
While the ceasefire proposal is expected to be approved if Netanyahu brings it to a vote in his security Cabinet, one hard-line member, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, said he would oppose it. He said on X that a deal with Lebanon would be a “big mistake” and a “missed historic opportunity to eradicate Hezbollah.”
